Tuesdays, October 6 – November 10 (November 3, Election Day, will be rescheduled during that week according to participants’ schedules.)
This fall, Nebraska Extension and Center for Rural Affairs are joining together to present the virtual course, Aspiring Farmer. Have you had a dream to start a market farm, a small livestock operation or diversified agriculture business?
The Aspiring Farmer Virtual Course is a 6-week long interactive online course for aspiring and beginning farmers interested in starting a, or improving their, small- to mid-scale produce, livestock or other diversified operations. From dreaming and creating a vision to developing a sound business and marketing plan, course participants will be well equipped to take the next steps in starting their farm operation. Course work will include weekly presentations, and discussions and interactions with peers, instructors, and farmers in the region. The anticipated time commitment for this course is 3-4 hours per week (one 90 minute evening session per week, plus one highly encouraged weekly lunch hour discussion, and no more than one hour of pre-work before each weekly evening session).
Throughout the course, class topics include:
-Farm Dreams: This class will provide practical, common-sense information so you can decide if farming or ranching is the next step for you. You'll be able to examine your resources, skills, and motivations for farming/ranching and develop a plan for moving forward toward your farming goals.
-Holistic Goal Setting: Plan what your future and farm looks like. Setting shared holistic goals will give you a framework for decision-making and decrease your stress.
-Enterprise Budgeting: Learn the budgeting process and tools needed to design a solid farm business plan that will help you achieve your financial goals.
-Marketing: Participants will have a broad understanding of the importance of marketing to tell their story to potential customers and to increase sales. Specific attention will be paid to branding, social media marketing and direct-to-consumer markets.
-Farmer Resources: Creating a successful farm business begins with making sound financial decisions. Participants will be given a variety of resources to aid with land access, risk management, taxes, health care, food safety, and more.
-Wrap Up: Participate in a live panel discussion with regional farmers and industry members supporting beginning farmers through knowledge, experience, and financial resources.
Instructors for this course are individuals from Nebraska Extension and Center for Rural Affairs. The course will be housed through Google Classroom. Registration is required. The cost of the course is $65, and scholarships are available upon request. Visit http://go.unl.edu/aspiringfarmer to register.
It is highly recommended that you have access to a computer, however, we are able to make individual accommodations. Please contact Katie Kreuser at katie.kreuser@unl.edu for more information.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/aspiringfarmer